“The mission of the bear festival is to educate the citizens of St. Mary Parish and the surrounding area about the Louisiana black bear, a species listed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as “threatened” under the guidelines of the Endangered Species Act.” So reads the recently updated web site.

Coming on April 17th & 18th in downtown Franklin (between Morgan City and New Iberia off US Hwy 90), “The festival features all the activities associated with a typical Louisiana festival, music, food, and good company, but also includes field trips, educational exhibits and children’s activities relating to bears and the many other natural resources found in south Louisiana.”

“We are proud that the Bayou Teche Bear Festival has received numerous awards and was named the #1 “Best New Event” in 2006 (with attendance less than 25,000) by the Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festivals (LAFF).”

Visit the web site at http://bayoutechebearfest.org/ and get out to Franklin for the festival.

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